GLADIATOR (2000) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION

The men who were going to execute him were not his men. They were not part of the Roman Legion. Those men were Praetorians, which is essentially the personal guard/army of the Emperor. They generally stay in the capital and would have had no allegiance to Maximus. It also adds context to the scene where his sword gets stuck from the frost. He was kind of mocking him because Praetorians are not involved in actual military campaigns. They always stay at home in the general safety and comfort of Rome, so the nuances of fighting in rough conditions are completely foreign to them.

I had the opportunity to briefly meet & chat with Joaquin Phoenix (who plays Emperor Commodus) a few years ago at a charity event I was working. "I *hated* you in Gladiator!" I told him. He paused for a moment, then smiled, and said "thank you very much." We both laughed, as we understood each other perfectly.

Phoenix gave the performance of a lifetime in this movie. Everyone did but MAN he did a fantastic job making us hate him. Great movie that holds up all these years later

I can't believe that this movie is a quarter of a century old.

In 2000 that entrance into the gates of Rome was very, very impressive. No one had really seen the ancient city visualized in that way. Proper use of CGI there.

Gladiator 2 should have been a story about Juba’s journey back to his family. A sequel people could have actually cared about

"If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you're already dead! Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity." His weirdly-lit visions at the end, opening the great gate, his hands brushing the grasses in his fields as he made his way back to them. _That_ was his Elysium. With both of them smiling in anticipation of his return. The joy of their anticipated reunion, echoed in eternity. Very moving.

Phoenix nailed this role. showing complex levels of emotions in each scene without overacting. In my opinion he made this movie

Maximus lays bleeding, dying on the floor* "that poor woman." "Yeah, she's been through a lot."

Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard absolutely CRUSHED the briefing for this soundtrack - we want epic, we want orchestral, we want haunting, we want joyous. You got it.